as in hats
a covering for the head usually having a shaped crown
most of the acrobats riding the horses and elephants wore some sort of fancy headdress
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Recent Examples of headdresses
No paintings of stoic elders in headdresses.
—
Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Guests were served meals over several days, dancers in bright headdresses performed for the crowd, and water buffalo – the most valuable gift a family can give – were led into the courtyard for sacrifice.
—Claire White, The Conversation, 15 Jan. 2026
People imagine being wowed by fire performances (that's Samoan) and fast-paced, hip-shaking dancing with those big eye-catching headdresses (most likely the Tahitian otea dance).
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Russian state media outlets shared images of the building’s marbled pillars and staircases as dancers, wearing kokoshniks, traditional Russian headdresses, performed.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
The reshaping of the skull was intended to alter a person’s appearance and emphasize headdresses and ornaments that would distinguish them from others later in life.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 20 Dec. 2025
Scott built the headdresses from a collection of feathers.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 17 Dec. 2025
Or from Peruvian Cumbi, the textiles reserved for Inca royalty, to alpaca wool Awaska fabric made for the people’s everyday protection against the cold, to the handwoven headdresses of Colombia’s Wayúu people.
—Benjamin H. D. Buchloh, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025
The thoughtful decor features pendant lamps inspired by traditional Rwandan headdresses, crafted by local fashion designer Joselyne Umutoniwase, and tasseled armchairs that riff on the traditional Rwandan shepherdess skirts.
—Chris Wallace, Travel + Leisure, 14 Nov. 2025
Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Guests were served meals over several days, dancers in bright headdresses performed for the crowd, and water buffalo – the most valuable gift a family can give – were led into the courtyard for sacrifice.
—Claire White, The Conversation, 15 Jan. 2026
People imagine being wowed by fire performances (that's Samoan) and fast-paced, hip-shaking dancing with those big eye-catching headdresses (most likely the Tahitian otea dance).
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Russian state media outlets shared images of the building’s marbled pillars and staircases as dancers, wearing kokoshniks, traditional Russian headdresses, performed.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
The reshaping of the skull was intended to alter a person’s appearance and emphasize headdresses and ornaments that would distinguish them from others later in life.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 20 Dec. 2025
Scott built the headdresses from a collection of feathers.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 17 Dec. 2025
Or from Peruvian Cumbi, the textiles reserved for Inca royalty, to alpaca wool Awaska fabric made for the people’s everyday protection against the cold, to the handwoven headdresses of Colombia’s Wayúu people.
—Benjamin H. D. Buchloh, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025
The thoughtful decor features pendant lamps inspired by traditional Rwandan headdresses, crafted by local fashion designer Joselyne Umutoniwase, and tasseled armchairs that riff on the traditional Rwandan shepherdess skirts.
—Chris Wallace, Travel + Leisure, 14 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headdresses
Noun
-
Her mother has also influenced her teaching approach as Couch has taken on a role beyond just educating, bringing her daughter’s clothes to school and buying winter hats and socks for her students.—
Caroline Neal,
Louisville Courier Journal,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Volunteers donned coats and hats to pass out food.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The pact's termination left no caps on the two largest atomic arsenals for the first time in more than a half-century, fueling fears of an unconstrained nuclear arms race.—
VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The 1000-milligram capsules are packaged in 60- and 120- count plastic HDPE bottles with screw-on caps.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Headdresses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headdresses. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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